THE family of murdered Surjit Singh Chhokar believe he came back to them from the dead to try to comfort them in their grief.

Surjit’s parents Darshan, 75, and Gurdev, 71, are having to go into sheltered housing because Darshan is ill with cancer.

But their daughter Manjit told yesterday how they fought for years to stay in their home – because Surjit’s spirit would visit them there.

Manjit told the Record: “He would come to them as they slept.

“He used to come to the house. They did not want to move because my mum felt Surjit came to them often in the night.

“Surjit used to talk to my mum. He used to come and sit on her bed. He was very close to my mum.

“She has strong faith. She took great comfort from that. She would say that he sat on the bed and spoke softly to her.”

Manjit said dad-of-two Surjit, who was stabbed to death in Overtown, Lanarkshire, in 1998, also visited her.

He told her in a vision: “Don’t worry. I am at peace now. My wounds have healed.”

Manjit spoke as the three men prosecutors want to retry over the murder appeared before appeal judges in Edinburgh. Prosecutors want the acquittals of Ronnie Coulter, 46, Andrew Coulter, 33, and David Montgomery, 37, to be set aside under 2011 “double jeopardy” laws.

No details of yesterday’s brief hearing can be reported.

Manjit told how her family still struggle every day to cope with the horror of Surjit’s murder. She wept: “I lost my brother, my parents lost their son, but nothing happened.

“My dad has had three cancer operations. My mum looks after him. It is sad to see them. She looks after him 24 hours a day.

“They always thought Surjit would be here for them in their old age, to care for them. In my culture it is the son who cares for his parents.

“But Surjit is not there. We just wish he was alive. Our life changed that night when he was killed.”

Surjit's sister Manjit

Darshan had to take Surjit’s ashes back to the Punjab in India. In Sikh culture, it is the son who should take his father’s ashes home.

Manjit said that after waiter Surjit, 32, was killed, her parents found it hard to leave the house because of the publicity over the case.

But she said: “We soon realised that we were getting nothing but support and help.

“It came from the local community in Law, Overtown and Wishaw, from people across Scotland, from MPs, MSPs and trade unions.

“We as a family, will always be grateful for that. It has been a great support.

“Without that goodwill, of people reaching out, we could not have pulled through. It has been a long time, all those years.

“Nobody should take somebody’s life. God gives people life. God is the only one who should take life when the time comes.

“My parents have strong faith, but they were devastated at the time and now they are forever heartbroken

“I believe their faith is why they are still alive. They have a holy book in the house and they pray. That has given them comfort and strength.

“It took me years even to come to terms with Surjit’s death.

“It is going to be a very hard time for me when my mum and dad die.

“It is the son’s duty to cremate. Who will cremate them? It seems small, but all these things go through my family’s minds all the time.”

Manjit told how the family have also had to cope with hardly seeing Surjit’s two daughters. His estrangement from their mother led to the family becoming separated after his death.

“We have lost our nieces,” Manjit said.

“I have met the oldest one only twice after his death. Our lives would have been different if Surjit was alive. He loved kids.”

Manjit said that at a rare meeting in March with her niece, Honey, she gave her a pair of shoes Surjit had given her just before he was killed.

She said: “It is all these little things, these little memories.

“Everything brings back memories of Surjit, who was so gentle.”

The family’s lawyer, Aamer Anwar, said: “It got to the point where the family had no more tears to cry over the loss of Surjit. As if the tears had dried up, they had shed so many.

“Throughout this ordeal they have shown dignity always. That is why they have received such support.”